Safety devices for entrance and exit for moving handrail

ABSTRACT

At either of entrance and exit for a moving handrail a front guard of soft, high flexible material and a rear guard of relatively hard material are tandem disposed to encircle the handrail to form a closed space between both guards communicating with the exterior through narrow clearances formed between the guards and the handrail.

United States Patent Kito [451 June 20, 1972 [54] SAFETY DEVICES FOR ENTRANCE AND EXIT FOR MOVING I'IANDRAIL [72] Inventor: Katsuml Klto, lnazawa, Japan [73] Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha,

Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: Oc1.8, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 79,199

[51] InLCl ..B66b9/l2 5s FieldofSearch ..l98/l6 [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 2,846,045 8/1958- Fowler ..l98/l6 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Attorney-Robert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato ABSTRACT At either of entrance and exit for a moving handrail a front guard of soft, high flexible material and a rear guard of relatively hard material are tandem disposed to encircle the handrail to form a closed space between both guards communicating with the exterior through narrow clearances formed between the guards and the handrail.

3 China, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJum m2 3.670.862

FIG. I

HQ 3 FIG. 4

PRIOR ART 24 I3 l3 I3 29' 22 1 4 SAFETY DEVICES FOR ENTRANCE AND EXIT FOR MOVING HANDRAIL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in a guard member for an endless belt type moving handrail disposed adjacent a platform for a moving staircase or moving walkway.

In moving staircases and passageways, the balustrade on each side thereof is provided on each end face of the lower portion thereof adjacent the platform for the staircase or passageway with an opening through which the endless belt type moving handrail enters into or emerges from the lower balustrade portion. Then the guard member is disposed at each of the entrance and exit for the handrail to enclose it with a narrow clearance formed therebetween. Such guard members have been previously formed of relatively hard material, such as rubber or a plastic having a rubber shore durometer hardness of about 90, into a single element.

The entrance and exit for the moving handrail on the lower balustrade portion stimulates interest for curious children. Particularly, accidents have frequently occurred that a child thrusts his or her fingers into the clearance formed between the moving handrail and the guard member until the fingers may be caught in the clearance. Once the fingers have been caught in the clearance the child can not pull them out from the clearance with his or her own force because the guard member has been heretofore formed of a relatively hard material as above described and the handrail is moving toward the interior of the associated machinery room. This has been apt to cause a serious trouble. In addition foreign matter might be often caught in such a clearance resulting in the handrail being scratched.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the principles of the invention, there is provided a safety device for either of an entrance and an exit through which a handrail of endless belt type is moved, comprising a first guard member disposed at each of the entrance and the exit to encircle the adjacent portion of the handrail, a second hollow guard member of highly flexible material disposed on that side of the first guard member remote from each of the entrance and the exit to encircle the adjacent portion of the handrail and an enclosed space formed between the first and second guard members.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to improve the safety of an entrance and an exit for a moving handrail of endless belt type particularly suitable for use in a moving staircase or passageway.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING For a better understanding of the nature and the object of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of a typical moving passageway with which the invention is concerned;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the moving passageway shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragrnental elevational view, partly in section of the guard member as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 constructed in accordance with the principles of the prior art;

FIG. 4 is a fragmental sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2 andshowing a safety device constructed in accordance with the invention with parts illustrated in elevation;

FIG. 5 is a fragmental sectional view taken along the line V--V of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating a modification of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing and FIGS. I and 2 in particular, a typical moving passageway of the conventional design generally designated by the reference numeral 10 comprises a pair of balustrades 12 on both sides thereof each including upper and lower portions 14 and 16 respectively. The upper balustrade portion 14 is encompassed .by a guide plate for guiding a moving handrail 18 of endless belt type therealong while the lower balustrade portion 16 supports the upper portion 14. The handrail l8 enters into or emerges from the lower balustrade portion 16 through a safety device generally designated by the reference numeral 20 mounted on an end plate 22 on the end face of the lower balustrade portion 16 located adjacent a platform for the moving passageway. The safety device 20 covers an opening fomied on the end plate 22 so as to permit the handrail 18 to enter into or emerge from the lower balustrade portion 16 but prevents the ingress of foreign matters into the machinery housing. The handrail I8 is driven by driving wheels 24 (one of which is illustrated in FIG. 4) at the same speed as that of the moving passageway.

In FIG. 3, there is illustrated in enlarged scale a safety device constructed in accordance with the principles of the prior art. The arrangement illustrated comprises a single guard member 26 made of any suitable, relatively hard material such as rubber or plastic having a rubber shore durometer hardness of about 90 and handrail l8 traveling past the guard member 26. The guard member 26 is fixedly attached to the end plate 22 by any suitable fastening means for example screws (not shown in FIG. 3) to cover the opening for the handrail 18 on the end plate 22 while forming a narrow clearance a between the guard member 26 and the adjacent portion of the handrail 18 for the purpose of smoothly moving the handrail past the guard member 26.

As previously described, the environs of the guard member 26 stimulates interest for curious children. Particularly, accidents have frequently occurred that a child thrusts his or her fingers into the narrow clearance a until the fingers may be caught in the clearance. Once the fingers have been caught in the clearance, the child can not pull them out from the clearance with his or her own force. This has been apt to cause serious trouble. Also foreign matter might be often caught in the clearance resulting in the handrail being scratched. g

The invention contemplates eliminating these disadvantages.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5 wherein like reference numerals designate the components corresponding or similar to those shown in FIG. 3, there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention. In the arrangement illustrated, the endless belt type moving handrail 18 of substantially C-Shaped cross section is moved along a pair of spaced opposite guide plates 13, by driving wheels such as shown by the reference numeral 24 in FIG. 4. The safety device 20 of substantially C-Shaped cross section is fixed to the end plate 22 of the lower balustrade portion 16 (not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) by fastening screws 28 to closely encircle the adjacent portion of the moving handrail l8 and also to cover an opening on the end plate 22 providing an entrance or an exit for the handrail.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the safety device 20 includes a first guard member 30 of substantially C-Shaped cross section fixed to the end plate 22 to encircle the adjacent portion of the moving handrail 18 with a narrow clearance c formed I therebetween while the opposite ends of the C abut against the opposite guide plates 13. The first guard member 30 serves also to cover the opening on the end plate 22 through which the handrail 18 is moved. It will be understood that the guard member 30' is similar in material and configuration to the guard member 26 as shown in FIG. 3 excepting that the former is smaller in height than the latter and has an annular shouldered poru'on. Then a second guard member 32 in the form of a cup having a substantially C-Shaped cross section is disposed on the front side of the first guard member 30 remote from the end plate 22 by having the mouth of the cup fixed, by any suitable fastening means such as adhesive, to an annular shoulder disposed on the outer periphery of the first guard member 30. The second guard member 32 is provided on the bottom face with an opening including one portion similar in shape to the handrail and slightly greater in dimension than the cross section of the handrail and the other portion con tinuous to the gap formed of the opposite ends of the C. The handrail 18 extends through the one portion of the opening just described on the second guard member 32 to form a narrow clearance b therebetween while the opposite legs of the guide .plates 13 are forced into the gap between the opposite ends of the C with the result that the moving handrail 18 is encircled by the second guard member 32. Further both guard members 30 and 32 form a closed space 34 therebetween communicating with the exterior thereof through the narrow clearance b and C.

' The second guard member 32 is formed of any suitable material relatively low in rigidity and relatively high in flexibility for example rubber or a plastic. The material for the second guard member 32 has preferably a rubber shore durometer hardness of from about 50 to 70.

FIG. 6 wherein like reference numerals designate the components corresponding to those shown in FIGS. 4 and illustrates a modification of the invention. The arrangement is identical to that shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 except for the second guard member being fixed directly, by any suitable fastening means such as screws or adhesive (not shown), to the .end plate 22 around the first guard member 30.

The invention has several advantages. For example, in the case a child has thrusted his or her fingers or the like into the clearance b on the second or front guard member 32, the child can easily pull them out from the clearance because the second guard member 32 is formed of a soft, highly flexible material. Also if the fingers have been deeply thrusted in the second guard member 32, the space 34 prevents the fingers from reaching the clearance c on the hard guard member 30. Therefore the invention prevents the occurrence of any serious accidents. With any foregion matter passed through the front clearance b, it falls upon the bottom of the space 34 and is prevented from being caught in the rear clearance 0. Thus each foreign matter is prevented from scratching the handrail.

' It is to be understood that instead of the moving passageway, the invention is equally applicable to moving staircases and other similar apparatus.

While the invention has been illustrated and discribed in conjunction with a few preferred embodiments thereof it is to be understood that various changes in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of part may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a moving handrail assembly including a handrail, a balustrade having an end plate at a front side lower portion thereof, said end plate having an opening therein through which said handrail passes, and guide means for said handrail, an improvement comprising a C-shaped first guard member disposed on an outer face of said end plate adjacent said opening to partially encircle said handrail, said guide means being disposed between the terminal ends of said C-shaped first guard member, a C-shaped second guard member fixed to said assembly to partially encircle said handrail and being formed of a flexible material, said second guard member extending outwardly past an outer face of said first guard member and in a spaced relation with respect to said handrail, wherein the outer extremity of said second guard member defines a C- shaped flange extending toward said handrail, said second guard member providing a cavity internally thereof and extending between said flange and said first guard member, whereby said cavity provides a safety zone preventing foreign objects from reaching said first guard member.

2. A safety device as claimed in claim 1., wherein said second guard member is fixed to said first guard member.

3. A safety device as claimed in claim 1., wherein said second guard member is fixed to said end plate. 

1. In a moving handrail assembly including a handrail, a balustrade having an end plate at a front side lower portion thereof, said end plate having an opening therein through which said handrail passes, and guide means for said handrail, an improvement comprising a C-shaped first guard member disposed on an outer face of said end plate adjacent said opening to partially encircle said handrail, said guide means being disposed between the terminal ends of said C-shaped first guard member, a C-shaped second guard member fixed to said assembly to partially encircle said handrail and being formed of a flexible material, saId second guard member extending outwardly past an outer face of said first guard member and in a spaced relation with respect to said handrail, wherein the outer extremity of said second guard member defines a C-shaped flange extending toward said handrail, said second guard member providing a cavity internally thereof and extending between said flange and said first guard member, whereby said cavity provides a safety zone preventing foreign objects from reaching said first guard member.
 2. A safety device as claimed in claim 1., wherein said second guard member is fixed to said first guard member.
 3. A safety device as claimed in claim 1., wherein said second guard member is fixed to said end plate. 